INDIANAPOLIS — Ten Miami Hurricanes secured invites to Lucas Oil Stadium for the 2026 NFL Draft Combine, marking the program’s biggest draft footprint in decades. Fans looking for athletic fireworks walked away waiting. Top prospects like edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa opted out of testing. Instead of running the 40-yard dash, Miami’s elite decided to control the clock. They will wait for the Hurricanes’ Pro Day on March 23 to solidify their first-round grades.
Rueben Bain Jr. skipped the drills, but his tape measure session created the loudest buzz in Indianapolis. The defensive end officially recorded 30 7/8-inch arms, placing him among the shortest in NFL Combine history for his position. The scouts care. The film does not. Bain dominated the 2025 season with 9.5 sacks and led the nation’s edge rushers in pressures, carrying Miami all the way to the National Championship game against Indiana. You cannot measure a player’s motor with a tape measure. Bain plays with a violent, destructive style that keeps him locked into Top 10 projections.
Francis Mauigoa stood on the scales at 6-foot-5 1/2 and 329 pounds. He looks exactly like a franchise left tackle should. The Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns are already circling his name for a Top 5 selection. Just like Bain, Mauigoa chose to keep his cleats clean in Indy. The same goes for Akheem Mesidor, who measured in at 6-foot-3 and 259 pounds. Mesidor is an older prospect, but his refined pass-rush arsenal points toward a mid-first-round selection.
Transfer quarterback Carson Beck also passed on the athletic testing. Beck threw for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns while leading Miami to a 13-3 record this past season. He flashed his arm talent during the throwing sessions, connecting smoothly with former teammate CJ Daniels. Beck sits in a crowded tier of quarterbacks behind Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Alabama’s Ty Simpson. A flawless throwing session on March 23 could push Beck firmly into the second or third round.
Offensive tackle Markel Bell provided the weekend’s biggest shock. At 6-foot-9 and 346 pounds, Bell is the third-tallest combine participant since 2003. He lined up and burned a 5.36-second 40-yard dash. Big men should not move that fast.
“I don’t worry about the measurements. It’s just stuff you see on social media. Put on the tape. The tape tells you exactly who I am and how I play football.”
— Rueben Bain Jr., Miami Hurricanes EDGE
Miami has not produced double-digit draft picks since the legendary 2002 class. The 2026 roster has a legitimate shot at breaking the drought. March 23 is the final exam. Evaluators will flood Coral Gables to verify the speed and agility of Bain, Mauigoa, Mesidor, and Beck. NFL general managers use the Combine to expose flaws, but players use the Pro Day to highlight their comfort zones. Expect the Hurricanes to put on a clinic on their home turf. A strong showing from fringe prospects like Wesley Bissainthe and Keionte Scott could push the Miami draft class into historic territory.
